Promoting Greater Security in Science
NTI partnered with the Sloan Foundation to support the National
Academy of Sciences' ground-breaking report, "Biotechnology Research
in an Age of Terrorism: Confronting the Dual-Use Dilemma." This
report has received widespread attention and led to a decision
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to lead a
government-wide effort to improve biosecurity for legitimate classes
of biological research that could be misused. This new initiative
includes the creation of the National Science Advisory Board for
Biosecurity, which will provide advice to the U.S. government
on ways to minimize the possibility that knowledge and technologies
from federally funded biological research will be misused to threaten
public health or national security.
NTI is also supporting several projects to foster an international
discussion on strategies to guard against the destructive application
of biological research and development while still supporting
the open and constructive pursuit of valuable science.
Through its Bioscience Community Self-Governance project, NTI
is supporting work by the Center for Biosecurity of the University
of Pittsburgh Medical Center to host an International Conference
on Biosafety and Biorisks. Scheduled to take place in Lyon, France,
in 2005, this meeting will engage scientists, health leaders and
practitioners in discussions about biosafety and biosecurity challenges
presented by SARS, influenza and other major epidemic threats,
as well as ways to improve international cooperation in preventing
and responding to future epidemics.
The project, Establishment of a Bioindustry Standards Organization,
engages biotechnology industry leaders in the development of normative
standards to reduce potential proliferation of dangerous pathogens,
techniques and know-how. With support from NTI, the Chemical and
Biological Arms Control Institute and the International Institute
of Strategic Studies-US convened three international meetings
in 2004--in Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States--bringing
together participants from government, industry, academia, and
other organizations to discuss ways to safeguard the legitimate
use of life sciences by managing the risks of potential misuse--both
deliberate and accidental. The project will culminate in the creation
of the International Council for the Life Sciences, a charter-based
organization that will commit its private and public sector members
to a code of conduct to prevent the misuse of biological research.
NTI is also supporting the creation of an International Forum
on Biosecurity to engage scientists and policymakers around the
world to address concerns that research in the biological sciences
might be misused by terrorists. Organized by the U.S. National
Academy of Sciences, this forum is scheduled to take place in
2005 in Como, Italy.
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